Love Birds
Every year my husband and I have the tradition of looking through our wedding album & reminiscing on that magical day, twelve years ago, that united us. My husband is a willing participant in this tradition. And by willing I mean, I open the album and from the first page I am transported. Instantly recalling the feelings I had the night before, or the way it felt to slip into my wedding dress. And he, well, he graciously nods. It isn't until we stumble onto a picture of him that he's activated. Leaping to take a closer look at the page, he usually remarks at how young he looked, or how much hair he had. Speaking as though it were "back in the day," when there was none of this fan-dangled technology and life moved at a different pace. Really?! It was only 12 years ago. Not twenty. In fact, I remember it like it was yesterday....
That moment when we were introduced for the first time as Husband & Wife, was electric. Clasping hands, we swiftly entered into the magnificent ballroom of The California Club. The room was grand. Exquisitely appointed. With paneled mahogany walls that made you want to stand a little taller. A space reminiscent of an era gone by. Just as I envisioned. A room like this could hold its own. Bare. Untouched. It need not dress for the occasion. But where's the fun in that? To enhance the rooms already majestic presence, I chose rich deep complimentary colors. Raspberries, burgundy, rich reds, and deep pink, all accented with shades of gold.
Each centerpiece arrangement was an abundance of hanging amaranthus, grapes, roses and tulips all in shades of pink to deep red presented in different styles: overflowing from concrete urns or wrapped in moss with spiraling branches. The tables swathed in raspberry linens and gold tasseled napkin rings were accented by embossed menus outlining a five-course, wine pairing dinner.
I remember stopping in the doorway. Taking in a breath. Looking out over our guests. Drinking in the room. This moment, I would remember. Even if the rest of the night was a blur. This was the realization of a little girls dream. This was the manifestation of six months of planning (sans a wedding coordinator). This was my vision, come to life.
My eyes danced around the tables. They were all aglow with candles, and crystals. Dripping with flowers and colors and details...details that during the planning I easily got lost in... only to eventually find myself. So there I stood, relishing in the "feeling" my design had invoked. I closed my eyes for a split second. Was this real? Then my husband squeezed my hand and whispered softly in my ear, "they're playing our song." And with that, we floated onto the dance floor....The rest of the night was filled with laughter, family, tears, friends, love, beauty, and hope for the future.
We pause, marveling in the magnificence of it all. We close the Wedding album. Sitting in the totality of our twelve years, we're reminded that much like that magnificent day, our life has been filled with laughter, family, tears, friends, love, beauty and hope for our future.
Twelve years later, I still find myself lost & found in the details of designing my life. And while moments in time take my breath away, some feeling less like a fairy tale...I'll close my eyes, take a deep breath and think "is this real?"
Then my husband inevitably sweeps in with the squeeze of my hand, whispering softly in my ear...and we continue to dance. Through ALL the ups and downs of life...we dance!
Photo Credit: Robert Evans